Rural Fire Protection Origins – Guilford County

How did rural fire protection begin in North Carolina?

That’s been a nagging question for a few years now. We posted this historical perspective from 1977, with excerpts from a state government document. 

But how about some details? What were the developments among individual counties? We’ve asked inputs on our Facebook fire page, in this posting. That’s where a discussion is unfolding. 

And, we’ve got some data to share on Guilford County, and its early rural fire protection history…

Guilford County

Guilford was one of the first counties to address “the problem of rural fire protection.” They started discussions in 1939, pressed their General Assembly reps to introduce legislation, and by the middle of the next decade, had three “community fire departments” operating: Bessemer, Guilford College, and Oak Grove.

Here’s a detailed history by way of the Greensboro Daily News and the Greensboro Record, from 1939 to 1948. Let’s start at the end, with a great recap in a GR story from September 16, 1948. From there, we’ll go back to the beginning.

What happened after 1948, both in Guilford and statewide? To be continued!

Click to enlarge:

Full text:

Guilford College Fire Department Result of Legislative Enabling Act Continue reading ‘Rural Fire Protection Origins – Guilford County’ »

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Raleigh Fire Department Fleet Updates – Summer 2017


Lee Wilson photos

Engines and Ladders and Tillers, Oh My

Raleigh’s new Pierce tiller was placed in service this week, and following a pair of new Pierce pumpers last month. Here’s the scorecard of which rigs went where, and which stations are getting the bumped ones. 

See more of Lee Wilson’s photos on his Flickr Site. Click on Albums for pics of the new Pierce tiller and Pierce engines. Or click the search icon  and use keywords, to search for pictures for older trucks.

See my apparatus register, for earlier histories of each rig. (Site update pending.)

Ladders

New Ladder 4 (at Station 1)
2017 Pierce Arrow XT tiller – In service 8/17/17.

Old Ladder 4
2010 Pierce Arrow XT tiller – OOS as L4 on 8/17/17. Pending to L8, after maintenance and some repairs.

Ladder 8 (at Station 26)
2006 Pierce Arrow XT platform (011035) – Will go to reserve.

Ladder 129 (reserve)
1999 American LaFrance Eagle platform (011001) – Will move from reserve to training.

Training Ladder
1995 Simon-Duplex/LTI platform (011004) – Will be sold.

Engines

New Engine 10
2017 Pierce Enforcer – In service 7/13/17.

Old Engine 10
1998 Pierce Saber (001001)  – Pending to E28.

Engine 28
2004 American LaFrance Eagle (001047) – Pending to training.

New Engine 17
2017 Pierce Enforcer – In service 7/10/17.

Old Engine 17
1998 Pierce Saber (001013) – Pending to E6.

Engine 6
2004 American LaFrance Eagle (001045) – Pending to training.

Training Engines
1989 Pierce Arrow (001018) – To be sold
1990 Pierce Lance (001019) – To be sold

Notes

  • The other two 2004 American LaFrance Eagle pumpers are at Station 24 and Station 25. 
  • The third Pierce tiller is at Station 29, a 2015 Pierce Arrow XT as Ladder 9.
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Greensboro Fire Department’s First Rescue Truck, 1944

November 18
From our friends at GFD, here’s a color(ized) photo of the rescue truck, along with other apparatus and vehicles at (old) Central Fire Station on North Greene Street. Click once or twice to enlarge:

2017-11-18-gfd

August 15
In October 1944, the Greensboro Fire Department placed their first rescue truck in service. By my estimate, this was one of the state’s first fire department rescue squads or ambulance services. Readers, please help verify.

They operated a Ford panel van (?), a former Army ambulance purchased from Fort Bragg six months earlier. It was bought and equipped using “civilian defense salvage funds,” noted the Greensboro Record on October 12, 1944. That month, civilian defense officials formerly presented the truck and equipment to the city.

The “dusty, battered vehicle of war” was “reconditioned and remodeled and fitted with an extensive selection of equipment designed to meet any emergency.” It cost about $1,400 to equip. Converting the truck into a “modern rescue car” was largely performed by members of the fire department. They also repainted the rig.

It was housed at Central Fire Station and was dispatched to any emergency, though not as an ambulance.[1] It was operated solely by city firefighters and intended for use in Greensboro and immediate vicinity.

In the summer of 1945, noted the Greensboro Record on October 18, 1945, their responses included four drowning cases, rescuing a worker from a “high radio tower,” “cut a man from a crush truck cab,” and “cut loose debris of other wrecks.” Squad members have also “loosed children from locked bathrooms, rescued cats from precarious perches, and provided numerous other services.”

In October 1945, they received an Emerson resuscitator, inhaler, and aspirator, donated by the Greensboro Junior Chamber of Commerce. They were also equipped with an iron lung, donated by the Veterans of Foreign Wars when the squad was organized. The iron lung was “light enough to be taken to the scene.”

Staffing included Capt. R. C. Fortune, who was in charge of the squad. Equipment carried on the truck in 1945 included: rubber raft, extension ladders, life preserver, grapple hooks, ammonia gas mask, fire extinguisher, hydraulic jacks, first aid equipment, stretcher, all-service gas masks, H. and H. inhaler, floodlight generator and lights, heavy duty cord, portable electric hammer, electric saw, acetylene cutting outfit, L. and R. safety carrier, pics, shovels, spades, wrecking bars, “five bathing trunks,” and “dozens of smaller items.”

The fire department’s operation of the squad was apparently short-lived. The Greensboro Record on August 6, 1947, reported that the title of the truck was transferred to the Greensboro Life Saving and First Aid Crew. What happened? Google finds no immediate references to the group. They were likely a volunteer rescue squad and, perhaps, ambulance service. Were they an off-shoot of the fire department rescue squad? Did they share or transfer members? Good questions.

Meanwhile in Raleigh

Six years later in Raleigh, a volunteer rescue organization was created and sponsored and hosted by the fire department. The Raleigh Fire Department Emergency Rescue Squad was housed at Station 1, and city firefighters operated the two-piece unit. As the story goes, the volunteer members assisted at some incidents, such as drownings. Within a number of years, the squad was exclusively fire department-operated.

[1] Though not dispatched as an ambulance, it probably served as a back-up to the local ambulance services, which were probably provided by the local funeral homes.

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Active Shooter in Apex – May 30, 2010

This is a re-posting of a Legeros Blog Archives posting from May 30, 2010, that’s no longer available on the old site, due to technical problems. It was originally titled “This morning’s shooting in Apex.”

Double shooting at 1201 Beaver Creek Commons Drive, at Target store. Dispatched about 11:09 a.m. Law enforcement response included Apex, Cary, Holly Springs, Raleigh, Wake County, and State Highway Patrol. Extensive fire and EMS response. Apex fire units utilized to block incoming traffic. Apex Battalion 1, then Car 1 as fire branch. District 5 as medical branch. Command post, EMS staging, and rehab established in front of Lowes store, beside Target building.

Two fatalities inside. Additional medical calls outside store, not directly related to gunfire. Rehab operations established for responders as well as store employees. About 150 shoppers and employees inside at time of incident. Wake County EMS Tactical Team members also present. Units on scene included Apex Engine 2, Ladder 3, Ladder 4, Battalion 1, Car 1, Mobile Command 1; Apex EMS 41, 42; Cary EMS 51, 52, 55, District 5; Wake County EMS 8, EMS 9, District 3, Medic 91, Truck 1, Chief 100, MD 1. Incident still underway, including fire unit standing by during investigation of suspect vehicle. Photos from Legeros posted.
 


Mike Legeros photo

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Raleigh Adds Squads, Fifth Battalion, and More – February 5, 2012

This is a re-posting of a Legeros Blog Archives posting from February 5, 2012, that’s no longer available on the old site, due to technical problems.

Big changes today in the Capital City, effective 0800 hours. Here’s take one of a summary of the rescue reconfiguration, the new battalion, the unit renumbering, and more. We’ll correct this posting as needed. 

Overview

  • Two rescue engines (as squads) placed in service.
  • Five-person heavy rescue placed in service.
  • Fifth battalion added.
  • Unit renumbering for department support vehicles.
  • Response changes, including two ladders on all structure fires.

Heavy Rescue and Squads

Five-person heavy rescue placed in service.

  • Rescue 1 at Station 21.
  • Operating 2007 Pierce rescue unit.
  • Expanded seating for six people.
  • Some equipment added, such as hand tools for three more members. Unit was previously staffed with two people.

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Northern Wake Fire Department Ceremony Videos – July 23, 2017

Here’s raw video footage from the ceremonies at Northern Wake Fire Department Station 1 on Sunday, July 23, 2017. The event celebrated the joining of Bay Leaf and Stony Hill fire departments, as well as a dedication of their new Rescue 35.

We previously posted two short excerpts: the coupling ceremony and the housing ceremony.

Here’s the full footage from the event, recorded on a FujiFilm X30. That’s Mr. Blogger’s travel camera. (And an upgrade from his usual iPhone footage.) Lousy audio, but the camera’s fairly steady. Will do better next time!

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B-17 Bomber Crashes in Garner, May 9, 1944

The News & Observer this week published an excellent retrospective of the B-17 bomber crash[1] in Garner on May 9, 1944. The Flying Fortress crashed into a wooded area around 5:30 p.m. near the intersection of Garner and Vandora Springs Roads. 

[1] Link now broken, http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article166514322.html

Two crew members were killed, and either others parachuted to safety. The Raleigh Fire Department was notified, and sent two trucks to the scene. Fire Chief W. R. Butts was one of the first officials to arrive at the scene, along with Highway Patrol and military officials, who arrived about the same time.

The burning wreckage was spread over an area 600 yards long and 100 yards wide. Bombs and bullets continued exploding long after the crash. Spectators attracted the scene were warned to keep clear for fear of further explosions. 

Here’s the News & Observer story from May 10, 1944. Click to enlarge:

no-1944-05-10-01 no-1944-05-10-02

More goes here.

Need to see the stories from the subsequent days. And the official report would be neat to see. 

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Carolina Beach Expands Fire Station, Plus Some History, 2013

This is a re-posting of a Legeros Blog Archives posting from June 29, 2013, that’s no longer available on the old site, due to technical problems.

Here’s a neat story [link broken] from the Island Gazette about the expansion of the Carolina Beach Fire Department at 9 South Dow Road.

They’re expanding their station with a $1.3 project that’s been on the drawing board for years. The building will be expanded with a 5,785 square-foot expansion, via a 70-foot by 76-foot pre-built metal building. This will add four apparatus bays, which will exit onto Cape Fear Boulevard.

The project also includes renovations to the existing 7,488 square-foot building. Those will include converting two apparatus bays into a classroom, renovating conference rooms, and adding a sprinkler system through the entire facility.

The story also includes a history of Carolina Beach firehouses, as related by Deputy Chief Granger Soward. Below is a detailed look at their history, and a clarification of some points therein.  Click to enlarge:
 

Carolina Beach Fire Department History

1925 – Carolina Beach is incorporated.

1920s – Carolina Beach FD is organized. The fire department is housed in the original City Hall, which was likely located on the opposite side of the ocean-facing Pavilion. The City Hall was a combination town hall, police department, fire department, and school room. (The school room may have been used for Sunday School classes only.) The fire department had a small shed beside the City Hall, which housed a fire truck. The City Hall was converted from an open-air structure used for picnics and social functions. The building’s present day location is along the Boardwalk, and on the site of Britts Donuts (and other shops).

Continue reading on this web page.

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June 30, 2013 – Legeros
From a reader, “Here in Wilmington, I’ve always heard that Carolina Beach got a lot of our old stuff over the decades, including 2 1/2-inch hose. We have our own thread size, 3 1/4-inch by 6, and I’ve always heard Carolina Beach has the same. One of our Assistant Chiefs was also the Chief in Carolina Beach, it’s been told. Maybe back in the 1960s or 1970s.” Says Legeros, the cross-pollination of city > small town (or rural) fire departments is something that we’ve seen here in Wake County, and going back decades. Heck, there are plenty of local Fire Chiefs whose day job is with the City of Raleigh Fire Department.

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Moving Rex Hospital, 1980

This is a re-posting of a Legeros Blog Archives posting from December 7, 2009, that’s no longer available on the old site, due to technical problems.

On Sunday, September 28, 1980, fifteen ambulances assisted with moving 170 patients from Rex Hospital on St. Mary’s Street to their new location on Lake Boone Trail.1 Teams of doctors, nurses, rescue personnel, and other volunteers assisted. The big move started at 7:04 a.m. when a specially fitted transfer truck was loaded with two patients in complicated traction arrangements.

Patients David S. Bostic and Paul N. Humphreys Sr. arrived at the new location 15 minutes later, and had expected to be admitted in the new facility. But they were beat by Jane Waring H. Wheeler, a mother-to-be who arrived from Louisburg. She got the drop, so to speak, two minutes earlier. Her daughter, Mrs. Wheeler’s second, was the first baby born at the hospital, arriving at 10:00 a.m. The night before, the last child delivered at old Rex Hospital was born at 9:04 p.m. on Saturday.

Click to enlarge:
 


Robert L. Ott Sr. photo
 

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North Asheboro Fire Department, Looking Back

Posting updated July 4, 2023, with the Greensboro Daily News story that accompanied this photo. See bottom of posting. Also incorporated new information from the story.

We’ve blogged about this former fire department before, back in 2009. Here’s some more information, lately uncovered, and beginning with this vintage photograph. Source is the vertical files in the local history room at the Asheboro Public Library. Written on the back of the is “prior to 1971.” Click to enlarge:


John-David Studio photo, circa March 1948

From there, let’s consult the old city directories via DigitalNC. The listings:

  • 1941-42 – No entry.
  • 1947-48 – No entry.
  • 1949-50 – North Asheboro & Central Falls Fire Station, 119 E. Beasley.
  • 1951-52 – North Asheboro Fire Department, Wm F Hughes chief, 119 E. Beasley.
  • 1953-54 – North A’boro Fire Department, Jas P Tatum chief, 119 E. Beasley. Same address also listed for North Asheboro & Central Falls Sanitary District.
  • 1955-56 – North A’boro Fire Department, Jas P Tatum chief, 119 E. Beasley. Same address also listed for North Asheboro & Central Falls Sanitary District.
  • 1957-58 – North Asheboro Fire Department, 119 E. Beasley. Same address listed for North Asheboro & Central Falls Sanitary District.
  • 1960 – North Asheboro & Central Falls Sanitary District, 119 E. Beasley. No entry for fire department.
  • 1962 – North Asheboro & Central Falls Sanitary District, 119 E. Beasley. No entry for fire department.

Beasley Street Today

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